Birds by Land and Sea 



progresses. About the end of February they begin 

 to reappear, and at the advent of spring some of the 

 birds have regained, although very irregularly as to 

 the time of their appearance, the gold spottings on 

 the grey black upper parts, the dusky cheeks and 

 throat, and the rich black bib and stomacher with 

 which they return to high northern, even arctic, 

 latitudes to breed. For the plovers, as also the 

 lapwings, which winter with us, are probably all 

 migrants from higher latitudes, although both species 

 breed in the district, the lapwings plentifully, both 

 in lowland and upland country ; the golden plover 

 more sparely and on the moors only, notably in the 

 Derbyshire hills. 



In spite of all these prominent gatherings, and 

 but to mention the wandering bands of green- 

 finches in the potato fields ; the bold tits, systemati- 

 cally working the clumps and lines of trees ; or the 

 hordes of sparrows which continue to frequent the 

 stubbles ; October was pre-eminently the month of 

 the robin. It was his form one saw on every hedge- 

 top, his sprightly bobbings that caught the eye on 

 branch, or post, or rail ; his rattling call, and pure, 

 liquid song that sounded on every hand. There 

 was the other sound, too the twice or thrice 

 repeated thin, piercing note which recalled the times 

 when we approached too nearly the nest containing 

 its young in the earlier part of the year. The robin 

 is not sociable. He never packs. " You keep your 

 place, and I'll keep mine," seems to be his motto, 



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